History degree - career prospects?

After looking around this forum it seems that alot of people believe that to get a decent job you have to do a science related course or something like economics. Im planning on doing history at university and im just wondering if anyone knows what the career prospects are like? Say i wanted to enter a career in finance, would i be severely disadvantaged due to the fact that its a BA. Personally i still think its a great subject, its just whenever i tell someone im doing history they usually reply with 'Oh so what are you gonna do with that?'. :rolleyes:

Reply 1

Ubiquitous

5

I graduated with a history degree last June and I will be starting a graduate job for Tesco in September. Still, it will be easier for you if you do, say, Business Studies.

Reply 2

ten bob

If it's a good degree from a decent place you can't really go wrong.

There are a few investment bankers with History degrees (albeit from the top universities).

Reply 3

unknown demon

15

depends on uni, grade YOU as a person and your intervew performance.

Reply 4

robbo07

OP

Yeah, i guess people just wonder where it leads because its not very specific. Im just sick of being asked if im planning on becoming a history teacher, not that its a bad job or anything but its hardly the only option.

Reply 5

Howard

5

Ubiquitous

I graduated with a history degree last June and I will be starting a graduate job for Tesco in September. Still, it will be easier for you if you do, say, Business Studies.

Goodness me - do you really need a degree to work in a grocery store these days? Will you be on the fish counter or specializing in fruit and veg? :biggrin:

Reply 6

ChemistBoy

16

Howard

Goodness me - do you really need a degree to work in a grocery store these days? Will you be on the fish counter or specializing in fruit and veg? :biggrin:

Tesco need graduates or how else are they going to take over the world ahead of Starbucks?

Reply 7

fuglyduckling

2

An excellent point, ChemistBoy: food for thought indeed. Perhaps a History grad could help enlighten us . . . :wink:

Reply 8

Dragon24

17

A friend of mine went on to do a PGCE in History.

Reply 9

shell_xx

1

Ubiquitous

I graduated with a history degree last June and I will be starting a graduate job for Tesco in September. Still, it will be easier for you if you do, say, Business Studies.

Ooh well done! I have a joint honours degree in history and I'd really like to get on the Tesco marketing scheme. Good luck with that!

I hated it when I was at university and everyone assumed that I wanted to be a history teacher or a librarian.

Although, to be honest, out of 6 of my friends on the history course 3 are now doing PGCEs...

Reply 10

Ubiquitous

5

Howard

Goodness me - do you really need a degree to work in a grocery store these days? Will you be on the fish counter or specializing in fruit and veg? :biggrin:

Didn't I embarrass you last time you spewed this tripe, forcing the 'Debator of the year' [should that be 'troll of the year'?] to run away with his tail between his legs?

I'll gladly do it again if you wish. :smile:

I don't know why anyone would want to be a history teacher. Why waste all the analytical and presentation skills that history bestows upon its graduates by teaching brats? History graduates are well suited to management [which is what I will be doing], marketing and various other high-paid jobs. I found myself talking about my history-degree related experiences often when conducting competency based interviews, so I was very grateful for the experience I had gained in attaining my BA during those interviews!

Reply 11

Gallagher

Im also thinking of doing a history degree, at Queens Belfast. Im lookin to go RAF, army, PSNI or try and get real good job in the civil service with good prospects-luckily you dont need any specific degree for those.

Reply 12

liss31d

9

History's quite a broad degree, ignore snotty people who criticise you! Depending on what kind of history course you're doing and on your post-grad, you could become a historian, an archeologist, a curator, a teacher, a lecturer, a lawyer, a journalist, etc... There are a lot of intersting prospects.

Reply 13

Soul Rebel

12

liss31d

a journalist

yep this is my aim.

Reply 14

sweet_fluffy_nuke

robbo07

Personally i still think its a great subject, its just whenever i tell someone im doing history they usually reply with 'Oh so what are you gonna do with that?'. :rolleyes:

You could do a law conversion and become a lawyer or do a PhD and teach at an university. I do know a historian who joined the police when her 2.2 was not enough for any other job.

Of course, if all else failed, you could do the PGCE and become a school teacher or retrain and become a nurse ! :biggrin:

As a school teacher, you can then push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push more students into history so that they become teachers who push ..... :biggrin:

Reply 15

sprite_fright

1

I'm planning to do a history degree too -I guess its pretty broard and so you can virtually do anything with it except be a medic or scientist.

Reply 16

beefmaster

16

I just graduated with a history degree. Now I work abroad for an NGO, as a program manager, dealing with security and developmental issues in the Middle East and North Africa.

You can do pretty much anything you want if you put your mind to it!

Reply 17

OhMyAbdil

2

A mate of mine graduated with a history degree from the University of Leeds and got a graduate-level job at KPMG. Another works as a teacher, and another works as a banker in Abu Dhabi. History is a very broad subject, and you really do get a lot out of it by studying it at degree level, so if you enjoy it then by all means go for it! Quite a few accountants have History degrees, and if you graduate with good honours from a top university then there's also a good chance of you landing a TC to become a solicitor. It's by far one of the most popular subjects among people who want to become lawyers.

Also, if you're intending on studying History I suggest you try and pick up a language while at university. It'll do you some good when the time comes to start searching for a job.

Reply 18

IlluminatedRain

2

Original post by beefmaster

I just graduated with a history degree. Now I work abroad for an NGO, as a program manager, dealing with security and developmental issues in the Middle East and North Africa.

You can do pretty much anything you want if you put your mind to it!

Most NGO's I've looked at demand a Master's degree in politics, economics etc. Which organisation do you work at?

Reply 19

M1011

19

Original post by Howard

Goodness me - do you really need a degree to work in a grocery store these days? Will you be on the fish counter or specializing in fruit and veg? :biggrin:

What an incredibly dumb statement.

History degree - career prospects?

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